Homily (3 2015) Mass of the Last Super Year ABC: Fr. Michael U.
Udoekpo
Readings:
Exod 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26 and John
13:1-15
Christ, Eucharist,
Love and Service (CELS)
[On Tuesday evening here in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,
the Bishops, clergy, religious and the entire faithful gathered around the
Archbishop at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist to celebrate the Chrism
Mass. That evening liturgy was an expression of our faith in Christ, the High
Priest, the unity of the Sacred Priesthood and appreciation of Christ’s one
redeeming Sacrifice of Love. Oils of Catechumens, the Sick and of the Chrism
were blessed. Oils that the Holy Pope Francis during his Chrism Mass in
Rome has encouraged every priests to go out and anoint the faithful with,
especially the sick, the poor and the needy!]
Tonight we begin the Sacred Triduum, three solemn days which encompass the
Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ and draw each and every one of us into
remembering the passion, death and resurrection. You and I know the power of
memory, remembrance! Remembering is so powerful. It revitalizes, reactivates
and keeps past reality alive in us. Holy Thursday brings to our minds
three gifts: the gifts of the Lord’s Super/the Holy Eucharist, the gift
of the Sacred Priesthood and the gift of Christ redeeming love, love that is
stronger than death, stronger than the fear of the fleeing disciples, stronger
than the untruthfulness of the power mongering Pilate and of the few “Jewish
elites”; a love stronger than the betrayal of Judas, the denials of Peter, the
mockeries of the Roman soldiers and the human selfishness. Christ, the
High priest loves his own to the end- all of us, our pastor, our priests, deacons,
sisters, mom, dad, our children, friends, grandpa and grandma (Jn 13:1).
Where ever you are located here in this Church tonight or standing out there in
the narthex, know that Christ loves you!
The Eucharist of which institution we reenact today is a banquet
of love, gratitude and service. It provides us a particular opportunity to
remember not only how much God loves and would want to “wash our feet” but His
ever living presence in our lives, in our homes and families. It teaches us to
cultivate a sense of gratitude.
I remember growing up in
a family of six children surrounded with many nieces and nephews. We ate
together and served one another from the same plates and drink from the same
cup. In sharing and serving I would feel the deep love, the friendship, the
nourishment, the strength and the support of my family and a sense of gratitude
to my parents. We would laugh, joke and talk with trust about events in life,
and some of them very important.
I want to believe that when Christ gathered his disciple
in that upper room for that Last Super, a night before his passion he knew the
importance of a shared meal, a meal of love and sacrifice; a meal that
nourishes and strengthen us in our weaknesses. He wanted this sacred meal, this
new Passover to be remembered. He says “Do this in memory of me” (Mk14:22ff;
Matt 26:26ff, Lk 22:19ff and John 13:1-15), instituting also the Ministerial
Priesthood.
This is why in the Second Reading, Paul has the courage to say,
“ I received from
the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was
handed over, took break, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said,
“this is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” With the cup
Christ said, “this is cup is the new Covenant in my blood, do this as often as
you drink it in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:23-26).”
Jesus will always remain really and substantially present with
us in the Holy Eucharist. After this meal tonight Jesus would walk across to
that garden of Gethsemane (in the daily chapel) from there he would be
arrested, harshly interrogated by Annas, Caiaphas and brought to Pilates’
Praetorium for trial. Jesus as John will testify will be killed on the
cross sacrificially at the same hour the paschal lamb of the Jewish Passover is
slaughtered in today’s first reading, (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14), making Christ, in
this new dispensation, the new Passover Lamb, the cup of the new Covenant of
love and Service. On the Cross his bones will not be broken and his priestly
inner - seamless tunic will not be torn nor shared among soldiers. In this
Jesus is protective of each and every one of us, our marriage and religious
vows, family values, Christian unity (“May they be one” Jn 17), our priesthood,
friendship and faith. He also knew the journey to that cross would be rough,
but his priestly dignity would remain intact, a tunic of love – challenging
even the modern priesthood, in need of your prayers always.
In Exodus chapter 29:4 at the ordination ceremony of Priests,
Aaron’s feet and those of his children were washed at the entrance of the tent
as stipulated in the old laws (Lev 8:6), for a different reason, external
purification. But still in the context of this meal Christ gave us a sign
of interior purification (John 13:1-15) by washing the feet of his disciples,
something deeper than deeper than external ritual.
By washing the feet of his disciple Jesus shows the depth
of his love, a love leading to the cross; a suffering love! He teaches the
hesitant Peter and all of us new way of sacrificial Love, a new way of service
and friendship. Not a new way of “eye service.” He teaches us a new way of
self-transcendence not a new way of self- aggrandizement. He teaches us a new
way to serve not a new way to be served; a new way of humble friendship with
all including the poor, the prisoners, the overpowered, and the
marginalized. By washing his disciples feet Jesus overcome by love the
inequality that existed by nature between himself and those whom he had chosen
as friends. I always believe that how we treat one another publicly or in
private is the true measure of the condition of our interior life, especially
of our life of prayer. This is the same message, our Holy Father, Pope Francis
has continuously promoted in his ministries!
As we celebrate
this Last Super sharing in the bread and wine of new covenant of love,
gratitude and selfless service, Christ, and ready to adore him at that Altar of
Repose in that garden, let us know that Christ sees us, in every nation, state,
county, town, dioceses, villages and out-reach stations. He loves us and
recognizes us. He sees the rich, the poor and the downtrodden. Let us know that having been washed clean, we
have been given the spiritual capacity and blessed with the divine strength of
his examples (John 13:12-15) to joyfully love and gratefully serve one another
as Christ has first loved and served us.
